Shop with confidence - Free 100 Day Returns
Free 100 Day Returns

What is Connemara Marble? The History of 'The Irish Gemstone'

Written by Jane Chadwick on Feb 24, 2024 | 10 Comments

Rare and beautiful, Connemara marble is found exclusively along Ireland’s rugged wild Atlantic coast. This Irish marble is as unique as the spectacular Irish landscape it forms, with green of almost every hue in arresting layers and patterns.

But how was Connemara marble formed? Why is it green? Is Connemara marble actually marble? What even is Connemara marble? How did Connemara marble get its name? And What makes Connemara marble so prized and unique? Read on for all these answers and more:

How was Connemara marble formed?

Connemara Marble has a primal past, formed from muddy marine sediments deposited in a shallow primal sea around 600 million years ago. These sediments were transformed by formidable forces generated in the formation of the spectacular landscape of the wild north west Atlantic coast of Ireland, and northern Scotland over 390 million years ago! Ancient treasures indeed!

Why is Connemara marble green?

The beautiful bands of rich colour within the marble are formed by tiny crystals of green minerals like serpentine, diopside, and chlorite. The minerals in Connemara marble formed at high pressure and temperatures over 550oC, transforming muddy marine sediments into limestone and then marble. The creamy white bands in Connemara marble are formed of calcite, and dolomite, two much more typical minerals found in marble world wide.

Is Connemara marble actually marble?

This might seem like a strange question. Surely the hint is in the name? But many of the famous green "marbles" of the world are not actually marbles at all! It all stems from differences between naming of different rock types between geologists, people who study rocks, and stonemasons and quarry owners, people who sell or work with rocks. Commercially any stone that can be polished is called marble - so many green "marbles" are actually other stone entirely like green onyx, or the famous Verd antique, a breccia used by the ancient Romans.

Unlike these other stones, Connemara marble is a true marble as recognised by geologists. It is a hard crystalline rock formed from ancient limestone transformed through heat and pressure. Marble of any colour has long been prized as an ornamental stone - used in famous buildings like the Taj Mahal or spectacular sculptures like Michelangelo's David.

Where is Connemara marble found?

This lovely stone gets its name from the only region in the world in which it is found, the wild and rocky landscape of Connemara in Co. Galway.

Where does it get its name?

The name of the entire region, the marble, and even the wild ponies that roam the landscape, are thought to derive from an ancient tribe that ruled the lands, the Conmhaícne. Located along the maritime coastline of Co. Galway they were known as the Conmhaícne Mara, the Conmaicne of the sea.

Why is Connemara marble so prized?

Connemara marble is a rare and internationally prized stone. In 2022, Connemara Marble was given international recognition of its cultural importance and symbolism in Ireland, when it was officially designated a Heritage Stone. Connemara marble joined world famous stones like Portland Stone and Welsh Slate from the UK, and Italian Carrara Marble on a growing, but still relatively short list of 32 stones recognised globally.

Prized for thousands of years primarily for it's striking colour - as we have seen above, true marbles with green hues are exceedingly rare. Due to its limited supply, this rare marble has been shipped around the world for centuries. You will find it in the lovely Galway Cathedral in Ireland, the Museum Building in Trinity College Dublin, Westminster Cathedral in London, as well as farther afield, in the Senate Chamber of the State building in Pennsylvania. And after a tip off from one of our blog readers, we have it on good authority that Connemara marble has even made it to a different west coast, in St. Patrick's Catholic Church, San Francisco, USA.

Is Connemara marble still mined?

Quarrying Connemara marble was one of Ireland's first domestic industries. There are axes made of Connemara marble in the National museum of Ireland that date to over 4000 years old! And it is still quarried to this day in Galway on Ireland’s wild Atlantic coast.

Connemara Marble is strong and beautiful

But Connemara marble is also prized because the green minerals that result in its unique colour also make it a very durable and more hard-wearing stone compared to many other marble varieties. This makes it a stunning and practical choice of ornamental stone.

Connemara Marble: The Irish Gemstone

Known as the “Irish Gemstone”, the beautiful and unique patterns and colours, combined with workability and durability also make it a fabulous material for use in jewellery. With a fine grained structure, it can be carved and polished in to all manner of shapes and finishes to make beads, cabochons, inlay, and more. We use this stunning stone in our Connemara Marble jewellery.

Each piece contains a small piece of our beautiful island in carefully crafted earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and rings.

Connemara Marble: An Irish legacy

A treasure traded for centuries in Ireland, Connemara Marble continues to be of great value today. According to Oscar Wilde, “Connemara is a Savage Beauty” and we tend to agree. We take great pride in sharing this beautiful and unique material with our customers worldwide.

One-of-a-Kind Connemara Marble

Every piece of Connemara Marble is different which makes for unique gifts ideal for the person proud of their Irish roots.

How to clean Connemara marble?

Marble is a hard crystalline stone but it can be damaged by coming into contact with the wrong materials. Household acids like lemon juice or vinegar can attack the calcium bearing minerals in the rock, eating into them and breaking them down and eating into the polished surface so they appear dull. They can also be scratched with abrasive cleaners or brushes - so pieces with Connemara marble require a gentle hand.

We suggest prevention is the best approach in caring for your Connemara marble jewellery. Take your piece off if you are baking or gardening or doing anything else that might get your jewellery grimy. And as it is a porous stone it is best to take off Connemara mable pieces before showering, swimming or hitting the hot tub too!

But what happens if you forget? You can safely clean your marble piece with a soft damp cloth to wipe off real grime. Or you could always treat your jewlery to a "spa day" at a local jeweler for cleaning.

Find out more about our jewellery care tips and how to keep your pieces looking great here.

Weekly Emails, Competitions and More

Join a growing community of people worldwide who enjoy Irish culture, design and craft.

Get In Touch

Have a question or something you're not entirely sure about when browsing our pieces? Please reach out. You can send us a note or give us a call—the Dublin workshop is here to make sure that you have a perfect experience from start to finish with My Irish Jeweler.

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram, to see what's new and upcoming. Join our Email list for early offers and special features.

Jane Chadwick

Jane Chadwick

My Irish Jeweler

Born in Dublin but reared in Canada, as a child I had an interest in Ireland that will be familiar to many young emigrants. I was completely fascinated, wanting to know all about the land of my parents and grandparents. Rare month-long family trips back "Home" cemented my love for Ireland. And I wore my Irish heritage with pride, sporting my tiny silver Claddagh gifted to me by my Irish grandparents until my finger grew too large for it!

As a young adult I moved back to Dublin, studying Geology and Mineralogy in university at historic Trinity College Dublin. After living in Denmark and the Netherlands working as a scientist and university mineralogy lecturer, I finally settled back home in Dublin. I joined the growing family at My Irish Jeweler in 2016, bringing my useful knowledge of metals and minerals as well as my perspective as an Irish emigrant with a love for HOME.

Comments

Sandy Faulkner

I saw where someone found a beautiful pink stone with black spots on it. It was rough looking not smooth. It was in Ireland

Jane ChadwickSandy Faulkner

Sandy you've made my day! An excuse to think about rocks!! Thank you :) It sounds like you are talking about a pink granite. There are a few places on the island that could be from. There is a very pretty pink granite in the Mountains of Mourne on the east coast and another pink granite in Donegal. Both are used as ornamental stone in building but if someone found an unpolished piece it would be quite rough on broken surfaces.

Mike Ruiz

I am interested in Irish jewelry please contact me back.

Thank you,

Jane ChadwickMike Ruiz

Hi Mike, thanks for getting in touch. My colleague Vicky has emailed you so you are in good hands :)

Carla Arecco

I purchased a pendant in Galway many years ago. On the back it is stamped Irish marble. I have today taken it to a jeweller to have a larger loop put on it and he has taken all the shine of the stone. Can this be repaired.

Jane ChadwickCarla Arecco

Oh no Carla, that must have been upsetting to discover! My colleague Vicky will be in touch via email to see if there is anything that can be done to repair your marble pendant.

M

You can find a lot of Connemara on my wife....

Jane ChadwickM

Hah! Lucky lady - it's a lovely stone. And thank you for the tip off! We know who to come to should we ever run short ;)

Alphonsus C.Ss.R. Doran

To whom it may concern: You will find plenty of Connemara marble in Mission Church, Mission Street, San Francisco, USA. Enjoy it.

Liz MaguireAlphonsus C.Ss.R. Doran

Wonderful to learn about the places around the world where one can find Connemara Marble -- thank you for sharing!